Communal Housing Design Guidelines
_A book with 40 actionable lessons for designing more communal, affordable, and sustainable multifamily housing
| In the face of a housing crisis, a climate emergency, and a loneliness epidemic, how can we create dwellings that foster financial, environmental, and social resilience? Over the last decade, architect Kyle Barker has sought answers to this urgent question. From a master’s thesis on sharing space in the suburban home to founding a mission-driven architecture practice, he has explored diverse housing models such as cohousing, pocket neighborhoods, and cluster apartments. In this book, the outcome of a trip to over 55 housing communities across 10 countries, he distills 40 key lessons for building more communal, affordable, and sustainable housing. Each lesson is illustrated with project photos demonstrating design solutions across the themes of circulation, economy, storage, flexibility, privacy, expression, and economy. This book is for anyone who dreams of better housing! |
Purchase your copy here ︎︎︎
If the cost is a hardship, please email us, and we’ll work something out!
Timeline
- Travel: 2022-2023
-
Writing & Editing: 2023-2024
- Publishing: 2025
Status
CompleteServices
- Graphic Design
-
Research
- Writing
Specs
-
244 pages, plus cover (270+ color photographs)
- 8” x 10” Soft Bound
Tags
Research, Book, Communal, Housing, Graphic Design
Single Stair Housing Studies
_Developing a modular prototype for single-stair housing* in the United States
Primary Projects + RUKA Design
While designing Split Switchback Housing, we tested a few variants to see if it could serve as a prototypical solution for Denver. In 2025, we used the National Single Stair Housing Competition as an opportunity to test the approach on three sites with wildly different dimensions and conditions.
The Denver project had both street & alley access and was large enough to allow for setbacks on all sides. Across the new sites we tested: zero-lot-line conditions, single-sided fire truck access, on-site fire lanes, and alternative unit layouts.
* Currently, most US housing over three stories requires two means of egress. This generates hotel-style housing, where units are entered from long, dark hallways. This model has many problems. Allowing windows only on one wall leads to inefficient unit layouts that are ill-suited for families, difficult to ventilate naturally, and more. The excess circulation—an extra set of stairs and a long hall—requires large rectangular plots of land, which are increasingly rare and costly in urban settings. Because these codes predate the invention of modern technologies like fire sprinklers, many municipalities are revisiting them to encourage the development of infill sites and lower housing costs.
The Denver project had both street & alley access and was large enough to allow for setbacks on all sides. Across the new sites we tested: zero-lot-line conditions, single-sided fire truck access, on-site fire lanes, and alternative unit layouts.
* Currently, most US housing over three stories requires two means of egress. This generates hotel-style housing, where units are entered from long, dark hallways. This model has many problems. Allowing windows only on one wall leads to inefficient unit layouts that are ill-suited for families, difficult to ventilate naturally, and more. The excess circulation—an extra set of stairs and a long hall—requires large rectangular plots of land, which are increasingly rare and costly in urban settings. Because these codes predate the invention of modern technologies like fire sprinklers, many municipalities are revisiting them to encourage the development of infill sites and lower housing costs.
Logic & Constraints
Street Presence
Sun shading balconies in Austin
Corner balconies and fire lane as lawn in Portland
Alternating balconies in SF
Plans
One Stair, Several Ways
An inset stair in Austin
The peekaboo stair abuts balconies in Portland
Stair as succulent lightwell in SF
Rooftop Vibes
Each roof has space for gardening....
shared meals, and....
laundryBonus Content
Sponsor
National Single Stair Design CompetitionLocation
Austin, TXPortland, OR
San Francisco, CA
Awards
National Single Stair Design Competition, Third Place (Austin)General Stats
- 6-stories
- Amenities: Covered Outdoor Cafe Seating, Community Room, Bike Room, Communal Living Room, Shared Laundry, Rooftop Deck, Social Stair
Austin Stats
-
20 units:
6 one-beds
14 two-beds - Lot Size: 6,075 sf (0.14 acres)
- 144 dwelling units per acre
- 244 beds per acre
Portland Stats
- 16 units:
12 one-beds
4 two-beds - Lot Size: 5,000 sf (0.11 acres)
- 139 dwelling units per acre
- 174 beds per acre
San Francisco Stats
- 14 units:
8 one-beds
6 two-beds -
Lot Size: 2,750 sf (0.06 acres)
- 222 dwelling units per acre
- 317 beds per acre
Services
- Architectural Design
- Zoning Analysis
- Interior Design
Tags
Attainable, Communal, Housing, Carbon Smart, Prefab, Missing Middle, Point Access BlockRelated Work
Dodge Mountain House
_A carbon smart house in rural Maine
Primary Projects & Andrew Frederick
Our client—a young couple with plans for children—wanted a modestly sized, high-performance, modern house. They purchased a forested plot with distant ocean views and reached out to us with a vision for a multi-volume house inspired by—Croft's founder, frequent collaborator, and good friend—Andrew Frederick’s nearby home.
We aimed to internalize the lessons from Andrew’s house and, if possible, build on them for a family with different needs and site constraints.
The design features two gabled wings set perpendicular to each other: one houses the primary bedroom and bath, and the other contains the first-floor living spaces and the children’s bedrooms above. A mudroom stitches them together, providing a transitional space and simplifying construction.
We aimed to internalize the lessons from Andrew’s house and, if possible, build on them for a family with different needs and site constraints.
The design features two gabled wings set perpendicular to each other: one houses the primary bedroom and bath, and the other contains the first-floor living spaces and the children’s bedrooms above. A mudroom stitches them together, providing a transitional space and simplifying construction.
Construction Photos 👷📸
Click or tap to advance
The L-shaped house is entered at the outer elbow, the junction between the wings
The entry porch takes advantage of the morning sun
Floor Plans
First floor, from top left to bottom right:
- Primary bed & bath
- Mudroom / entry
- Family & guest bath
- Under-stair laundry & utility
- Pantry
- Kitchen
- Living Space
The upstairs houses two additional bedrooms and a storage loft above the primary bath
The house form creates a protected courtyard, which faces the distant ocean views
The kitchen & living space is connected to the inner courtyard through generous windows & a large door
A window at the sink increases counter space, brings in light, and is a killer spot for bird-watching
The ceiling height - driven by the upstairs bedrooms - makes the modest living room feel spacious
The hall (left) creates a distinction between the social and private spaces of the house while doubling as an excellent art gallery
A window / door pair on the inner courtyard side of the primary bedroom makes it feel like you’re sleeping outside
A view from the storage loft to the primary bed
The entry hall to the primary bed provides the homeowner with an additional layer of privacy
The cedar decking changes orientation as it wraps around the elbow. We get excited about simple moves that feel special without adding cost
Although the house only has a few openings, they are often located across from one another - like the kitchen, shown here - to give the space an airy feel
Locating windows at the corners simplifies prefab panelization and encourages light to bounce as it enters the home
Client
PrivateStatus
Under ConstructionLocation
Rockland, MaineServices
- Architectural Design
- Furniture Selection
-
Interior Design
Credits
- Andrew Frederick,
Collaborator
Tags
House, Carbon Smart, PrefabRelated Work
Split Switchback Housing
_Socially rich, straw-filled single-stair housing
Primary Projects + RUKA Design
Currently, most US housing over three
stories requires two means of egress. This generates hotel-style housing, where
units are entered from long, dark hallways. This model has many problems.
Allowing windows only on one wall leads to inefficient unit layouts that are
ill-suited for families, difficult to ventilate naturally, and more. The excess
circulation—an extra set of stairs and a long hall—requires large rectangular
plots of land, which are increasingly rare and costly in urban settings.
Because these codes predate the invention of modern technologies like fire
sprinklers, many municipalities are revisiting them to encourage the
development of infill sites and lower housing costs.
Split Switchback Housing answers Denver’s call to imagine American single-stair housing. After completing this project, we tested the prototype at three additional sites with varying constraints. (See Single Stair Housing Studies.)
Split Switchback Housing answers Denver’s call to imagine American single-stair housing. After completing this project, we tested the prototype at three additional sites with varying constraints. (See Single Stair Housing Studies.)
The first floor caters to residents’ daily needs with spaces for chance meetings, play dates, package deliveries, bike parking, recycling, composting, & trash disposal.
Widespread Adoption
In surveying emerging single-stair legislation across the country, firefighters’ concerns have been the biggest barrier to adoption.
Before starting we worked to understand these concerns better, using them as the foundation to our approach. Building off of Seattle’s code, the design addresses these concerns in the following ways:
(Denver’s Capitol Hill, Station 8, has a truck with a 105’ rear-mount ladder. Denver has adequate hydrant capacity and quick fire department response times. The proposed building has fire sprinklers and properly fire-separated occupancies. All of these are essential factors for taller single-stair buildings.)
Short Travel Distances
The furthest unit is 12’ from the stair. (Also, the stair’s travel distance is equivalent to a typical switchback: 8’ across the landing.)
Fire-Rescue Balconies
Every unit has a balcony facing a right-of-way, allowing for easier rescue and refuge from smoke. 
Smoke-Free Stair
The stair is covered, but open at the sides, preventing smoke build-up (and allowing more light & fresh air).
Increased Visibility
The alternating switchback increases visibility between floors (because they aren’t blocked by the level above).
The project consists of two living blocks organized around a central stair. Conceived as a prototypical solution, the blocks can grow or shrink to fit deeper or shallower sites, as long as their inner face abuts the stair.
Click through the gallery below to learn more about the project ︎︎︎
Sponsor
Buildner and ArchDailyLocation
1338 Emerson St / Denver, CO 80218Awards
BSA / AIA 2025 Unbuilt Planning and Design Merit AwardDenver Single-Stair Housing Challenge, Shortlisted
Stats
- 6-stories
- 16 units:
12 studios
4 three-beds - Lot Size: 5,678 sf (0.13 acres)
- 123 dwelling units per acre
- 185 beds per acre
- Amenities: Covered Outdoor Cafe Seating, Community Room, Bike Room, Communal Living Room, Shared Laundry, Rooftop Deck, Social Stair
Related Work
Prairie House
_A live-work carbon-smart house in rural Maine
This project felt like good fortune architecture Mad Libs.
A photographer whose work we love and her partner, who works in solar energy, asked us to design a modestly sized, high-performance house & photography studio in rural Maine.
The client’s charge, and a quality we aim for in all our work, was to create something timeless. Their words: “We don’t want it to look like it was built in the early 2020s.” Challenge accepted!
The design was inspired by equal parts New England vernacular—simple gable and shed forms, cedar shakes, and painted wood floors—and some of our favorite artists and architects: Andrew Wyeth’s paintings, Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois’s apartments, Donald Judd’s studio spaces, and Luis Barragan’s stairs, to name a few.
The client’s charge, and a quality we aim for in all our work, was to create something timeless. Their words: “We don’t want it to look like it was built in the early 2020s.” Challenge accepted!
The design was inspired by equal parts New England vernacular—simple gable and shed forms, cedar shakes, and painted wood floors—and some of our favorite artists and architects: Andrew Wyeth’s paintings, Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois’s apartments, Donald Judd’s studio spaces, and Luis Barragan’s stairs, to name a few.
Ground Floor Plan
From left to right:
- Screened-In Porch: Cot-sized for summer napping
- Living Room: With dining, kitchen, and large sliding doors to patio
- Library: Convertible to an in-law bedroom
- Bathroom
- Mudroom
- Entry porch
We’ll be shooting the house with a photographer in the spring.
In the meantime, enjoy a few candid shots from Kyle’s phone 😎️
In the meantime, enjoy a few candid shots from Kyle’s phone 😎️
A mudroom with a view
The downstairs bath
The kitchen. Millwork by absolute magician Dustin LeVasseur
View from the kitchen across the living space to the screened-in porch
A wood stove anchors the living room
The screened-in porch captures evening light
The library is sized to convert into a bedroom if needed
We recommend this approach to Clients because it supports aging in place
Second Floor Plan
From left to right:
- Workspace: With Storage
- Landing: With a sitting area and a linen closet
- Bathroom: With soaking tub & prairie views
- Bedroom: With a walk-in closet
From the Client’s bedroom to the workspace
The workspace is broken into two zones for the couple
The shower in the primary bathroom
The view from upstairs to the landing with its window to the prairie beyond
Process Images
Client
PrivateStatus
CompleteLocation
Hiram, MaineServices
- Architectural Design
-
Interior Design
Credits
- Casco Bay Insulation,
Insulator - Croft,
Design Collaborator - Daniel Boutot,
Framer - Dustin LeVasseur Woodworks,
Millworker
Tags
High-Performance, HouseRelated Work
Data Port
_How could we reimagine the data center as a civic amenity?
This project reimagines the data center typology to maximize its ability to shed heat. What would typically be expelled as “waste heat” is repurposed to sponsor a range of civic activities & one of a kind experiences. The site—the only break in the Harbor Walk from its start in Charlestown—is transformed into a destination with a global reach, like the data it houses. Visit the desert. Visit the tropics. Soak up the hot springs. Luxuriate in the thermal baths. Jump on the splash pad. Whoosh down the waterslide. Swim like an olympian. Run like a marathoner. Experience a geyser. Learn about data.
All of these experiences are made possible by the heat from the servers, which literally float across the historic dry dock as a single, meandering row. The pools are used as a heat sink, via a closed loop radiant system—“Direct to Chip Cooling” using non-flammable dielectric fluid—whose flexible piping is set into deep grooves in the flooring & walls of the pools; visible to its users, but out of reach. This technique utilizes the heat-carrying capacity of liquid, which is 3,500 times greater than air, to cool the racks. This is the one time in Architecture where a maximal building envelope is the environmentally friendly, cost-effective choice! Although this approach minimizes the waste heat as air, one can never completely eradicate it, so why not utilize it to inflate a one-hundred-foot tall pneumatic greenhouse? The constancy of the waste air, typically a problem, allows for a monumental gesture on the scale of the Seaport. (And because the structure is year-round, even in the hot months, it raises the question, “What happens when you have too much air?” Answer: you power an artificial geyser as an evaporative cooling homage to the whales.)
All of these experiences are made possible by the heat from the servers, which literally float across the historic dry dock as a single, meandering row. The pools are used as a heat sink, via a closed loop radiant system—“Direct to Chip Cooling” using non-flammable dielectric fluid—whose flexible piping is set into deep grooves in the flooring & walls of the pools; visible to its users, but out of reach. This technique utilizes the heat-carrying capacity of liquid, which is 3,500 times greater than air, to cool the racks. This is the one time in Architecture where a maximal building envelope is the environmentally friendly, cost-effective choice! Although this approach minimizes the waste heat as air, one can never completely eradicate it, so why not utilize it to inflate a one-hundred-foot tall pneumatic greenhouse? The constancy of the waste air, typically a problem, allows for a monumental gesture on the scale of the Seaport. (And because the structure is year-round, even in the hot months, it raises the question, “What happens when you have too much air?” Answer: you power an artificial geyser as an evaporative cooling homage to the whales.)
The data center’s servers float in the former dry dock, releasing waste heat to warm a series of pools and inflate two 100-foot tall pneumatic greenhouses (of course)
The former buoyancy chamber at the center of the dry dock hosts the servers and a series of pools. Greenhouses bracket the pools, and an elevated running track stitches everything together
Soak up the hot springs
Luxuriate in the thermal baths
Jump on the splash pad & whoosh down the waterslide
Swim like an Olympian & experience a geyser
Visit the Tropics!
The continuous waste heat from the servers inflates a pneumatic greenhouse. A running track allows visitors to view the plants from the ground, 40 feet in the air, and everywhere in between
Visit the desert!
A long section through the pools (click it to navigate)
A plan of the pools (click it to navigate)
A view from the museum’s basement through the data center into the swimming pool
Experience the glow of the data
Client
CompetitionTimeline
2021Location
Boston, MassachusettsAward
2021 Rotch Prize WinnerServices
- Architectural Design
-
Interior Design
-
Exhibition Design
- Urban Design
Tags
Civic, Park, Data Center, DreamsRelated Work
Permanent Collection
_An architecture museum that uses itself to teach people about architecture
An
architecture museum is one of the few buildings that has to
house and display other buildings. From the full-scale prototype to
the microfiche archive, the scalar range of the collection is
immense. This project harnesses the extreme dimensional difference of
the objects in its collection to propose a building with radical
shifts in section. As the ceiling height shrinks from 35’-0” to
11’-0” across five floors, the structural systems shifts to
accommodate larger spans, more columns, etc. With these changes comes
the opportunity to recall five canonical plan organizations: the free
plan, the ring (with atrium), the hypostyle hall, the forest, and the
villa. As the visitor ascends—either through the glass elevator or
the spiral stair—they experience pronounced material, structural and
spatial shifts, sampling a history of Architecture on their way.
Level 1 - Infrastructural Clear Span
![]()
Level 2 - Castellated Atrium
Level 3 - Waffle Hypostyle
Level 4 - Column Forest
Level 5 - Mass Timber Renaissance
Roof Top - Field of Figures
Client
CompetitionTimeline
2020Location
Boston, MassachusettsAward
2020 Rotch Prize, Runner-UpServices
- Architectural Design
-
Interior Design
- Exhibition Design
Tags
Civic, Museum, DreamsRelated Work
Model Homes
_A test bed for new models of communal living
Model Homes is an ongoing project to test ideas that haven’t found a project yet. It’s a way of pushing ourselves to think beyond the known models of collective housing.
All of these begin with the combination of:
When working on them we jump between plan, section, and model. We often work on several at a time, and we’ve found the multiplicity of options within a house and across houses simultaneously to be freeing. It’s helped us to shed preciousness and embrace the aspects of architecture we love: embedding the concept into the core of the architecture (structure, organization, light) and imagining new modes of living.
All of these begin with the combination of:
-
a common demographic:
cohabitating adult friends, two families with young children, intergenerational families, etc,
-
and
a simple spatial idea:
typically something grid-based to simplify construction
When working on them we jump between plan, section, and model. We often work on several at a time, and we’ve found the multiplicity of options within a house and across houses simultaneously to be freeing. It’s helped us to shed preciousness and embrace the aspects of architecture we love: embedding the concept into the core of the architecture (structure, organization, light) and imagining new modes of living.
Grid House ︎︎︎
What happens when you combine cohousing & grids? This house can be used as two
standalone homes that share a wall, or as one large, luxurious space for cohabitation. Borrow sugar through the “window” in the kitchen. Dine like Thanksgiving any night of
the year. Get that good, good laundry smell every day. Sneak off to your own private
living space, or throw a rager in the dining / living area. #NotForSquares
Telescoping House ︎︎︎
Gables on gables on gables, each one housing a different type of space.
A house for four+ friends who want to cohabitate and co-locate their
businesses. The beds & baths are bracketed by a large living area and a
divisible business-from-home space. Launch your plant shop. Run your
accounting firm. Curate your vintage shop. The possibilities are endless! #BusinessInTheFront
Tube House ︎︎︎
We always say that the only thing better than skylights is tall skylights.
Designed for the needs of a multi-generational family, this house is made
up of a series of alternating living & sleeping spaces. Whether it’s the den,
patio, reading nook, home office, TV room, or eat-in kitchen, each person can choose the space that suits their mood. #LetTheLightShineIn
Pier House ︎︎︎
Formed from six “service” piers, this two-family co-house uses half-levels to create
privacy between the living and private zones. The central living / kitchen / laundry
area is the social hub. Moving out from there are each family’s bedrooms and private spaces (shown here as a nursery and a home office). #MeetMeInTheMiddle
Zig Zag House ︎︎︎
In this house for four+ friends, we wanted to test what would happen if we
combined two of our favorite things: a sawtooth plan and a gable section. The result
is a large central living / kitchen / laundry area, bracketed by private living areas that can be contiguous or not, based on user preference. The bedrooms bookend the building and have access to a shared patio through their private entries. #DiamondsAreForever
Client
Self-InitiatedTimeline
2021Status
CompleteRelated Work
One Plus Two House
_A carbon smart house in rural Maine made of straw
It’s a good fit when a client says any of the following:
In this case, the client said it all on our first call. We told them it felt like, “Dream Client Bingo.”
-
“We want something really sustainable.”
-
“We don’t want a house that’s too large.”
-
“We want it to sit gently on the land.”
- “We like modern but cozy.”
In this case, the client said it all on our first call. We told them it felt like, “Dream Client Bingo.”
Surrounded by wood at the entry to the house & screened-in porch.
The family of simple gable forms helps break down the scale of the house and anchor it to the sloped site
Ground Floor Plan
From left:
- Screened-In Porch
- Deck
- Living Room: With dining, kitchen, and large sliding doors to patio
- Pantry
- Stair to second floor
- Laundry & Utility Room
- Bathroom
- Guest Bedrooms
The bookcase provides storage for chopped logs as well as: a place to put the TV, additional seating, and a spot for books
The Southeast corner of the house provides expansive views of the pond.
From left: entry, stair to mezzanine, hall to the guest bedrooms, kitchen & pantry.
The house is perched among the trees
Second Floor Plan
From left:
- Stair to first floor
- Mezzanine: With banquette seat, storage, & sitting area
- Primary Bathroom
- Primary Bedroom: With walk-in closet and private deck
The second floor overlooks the first, but we designed a screened railing, a seating nook, and a storage wall to give it its own character.
The primary bedroom has its own deck with views to the pond
We’re fairly confident there isn’t anything better than a morning coffee with pond views on the terrace outside your bedroom.
Client
PrivateLocation
Warren, MaineServices
- Architectural Design
-
Interior Design
Credits
-
Primary Projects Team,
Kyle Barker, Jacqueline Traudt -
Croft,
Collaborator & Straw Panel Provider
Tags
House, Carbon Smart, PrefabRelated Work
Thick House
_A modular home designed to be built in a controlled environment and assembled on site; a workaround for a remote site without a nearby labor force
The platform frame is primarily about speeding up construction and maximizing interior square footage. Although these are typically marshalled as economic arguments, they are often trotted out as sustainability arguments. We’re using less! We’re being economical!
What these arguments omit is the extraction processes and intense energy use demanded by their manufacture and/or erection. Aluminum and foam, the worst offenders, epitomize this twentieth century mentality about buildings: build them light, fast, and hollow and clad them in something like vinyl that can weather temperature swings and time.
Rather than thinking about wall & floor assemblies as individual components, responsible for singular functions (studs for structure, building wrap for moisture mitigation, insulation for R-value) lets thicken and sculpt our walls so that their inherent geometry buttresses them, their materiality resists moisture, their thickness combats rapid heat transfer, their surface provides a home for piped service runs, and their form affects us!
What these arguments omit is the extraction processes and intense energy use demanded by their manufacture and/or erection. Aluminum and foam, the worst offenders, epitomize this twentieth century mentality about buildings: build them light, fast, and hollow and clad them in something like vinyl that can weather temperature swings and time.
Rather than thinking about wall & floor assemblies as individual components, responsible for singular functions (studs for structure, building wrap for moisture mitigation, insulation for R-value) lets thicken and sculpt our walls so that their inherent geometry buttresses them, their materiality resists moisture, their thickness combats rapid heat transfer, their surface provides a home for piped service runs, and their form affects us!
View of Living Room
Junction of Four Modules
View from West
West Elevation
Entry at North
North Elevation
View from Bed
View from Bedroom to Entry
Section, looking South
Roof Modules
View of Kitchen
View from Kitchen to Living Room
Junction of Six Modules
Client
CompetitionTimeline
2017Award
2017 Rotch Prize, FinalistServices
- Architectural Design
-
Interior Design
- Furniture Selection